"Sylvia Plunkett's range of experience and her bank supervision expertise make her an ideal choice to lead our regional operations in Chicago," said Acting Director Thompson.

Ms. Plunkett, a 28-year FDIC veteran, has served as the Deputy Director for Compliance in the Dallas Region since 2002. She served previously as Regional Director for the former Division of Consumer Affairs in the Memphis Region, where she directed the compliance examination, consumer affairs and community affairs programs. Ms. Plunkett joined the FDIC in 1978 as a bank examiner trainee in Memphis. She was commissioned as a bank examiner in 1982 and served in various offices before becoming an Assistant Regional Director in the FDIC's Memphis Regional Office in 1989.

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Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation's banking system. The FDIC insures deposits at the nation's 8,833 banks and savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed. The FDIC receives no tax dollars – insured financial institutions fund its operations.

FDIC press releases and other information are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web at www.fdic.gov, by subscription electronically (go to www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html) and may also be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center (877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200). PR-40-2006